Newlywed pros locked in ego wars

Most of the newly-married working couples appear to be having complaints against each other. At least, this is the indication from the increasing number of cases of marital discord that are pouring in at the fully operational Mahila Support Centre at the Central Crime Station (CCS). And if you thought that it is only the poorer sections of the society that are turning up at the support centre, then you are wrong. Most of the young couples are either doctors or are working in BPOs and reputed IT firms! “Ego clashes and gender issues are the key factors that are driving a wedge between the couples. In most cases, both wife and husband are professionals and draw equal salaries. They are highly educated,” explains Ch V Sunitha, incharge of the Mahila Support Centre. She told Expresso that they were receiving about 15 cases pertaining to family disputes and most of them were being solved through counselling. “We try our best to create an amicable atmosphere between wife and husband when they approach us for help. On an average, 45 cases are registered per month under categories like alcoholic husband, extra-marital affairs, financial issues, ego clashes and gender issues,’’ she said. About 1,227 cases have been handled by the social workers at the CCS Mahila police station. Of them, 531 couples have decided to live together, 174 cases have gone for divorce, 352 cases have been booked under section 498 A, 112 cases were referred to Protection Officer for Domestic Violence (DV) Act, 68 cases were referred to short stay homes and rest of the cases were referred for psychiatric help, Sunitha said. Kota Sivakumari, secretary, Society for Women’s Awareness and Rural Development (SWARD), an organisation which is assisting the support centre, said the support centres provided multi-pronged support required for survivors and complainants of violence to prevent and counter crime against women.

By Mouli Mareedu

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I-T alert on fake email seeking key data

Are you receiving email requesting your PAN, TIN and bank account details for processing of IT refund? Then you had better delete them forthwith or complain to the Income Tax officials as they are fraudulent email sent by unidentified persons. With several taxpayers lodging complaints about fraudulent email flooding their mail boxes seeking their bank account, PAN and TIN details for transfer of tax refund, the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax,  Hyderabad, Radha Srivastava has ordered an inquiry into the matter. The Chief Commissioner told Expresso that a number of customers had received such email, some of which had sought to know even the credit and debit card details of customers. “An investigation by the Income Tax officials revealed that customers received fake mails from email IDs like lhxbkw@accounts.net, cvfvs@accounts.net and onozml@accounts.net,” she said. Apart from using e-mail IDs that were similar to that of the Income Tax department, fraudsters were also including a few images copied from the official website of the Income Tax department. “Even as the investigation into the cyber fraud is at an initial stage, we have learnt that several such e-mails have been sent to tax payers, whose addresses can be obtained easily from social networking sites,’’ Radha Srivastava said. Reiterating that the Income Tax Department never sought such details through online mails, the Chief Commissioner said refunds are issued through refund banker scheme wherein the amount is either credited directly into the bank account mentioned by the taxpayer in the return or a cheque is sent by post to the taxpayer’s address. “Customers are cautioned not to click on any link that has come through email from unexpected sources. There is no need to provide any information on a page that might have come up as a pop-up window. Always remember that information like password, PIN, TIN are strictly confidential and should not be even disclosed to employees or service personnel of the IT department,” she said

By Mouli Mareedu

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Mostly newcomers to city turning chain-snatchers

Bina Patnaik, a resident of Tilaknagar near Kachiguda, has been relieved of her three-tola mangalasutra by two motorcycle-borne robbers near the Golnaka bridge while she was walking back home from work. A number of women have been robbed of their valuables in a similar fashion at Malakpet, Amberpet, Saidabad, Nallakunta, Kanchanbagh and other places in the city. Cracking such cases is proving to be a big challenge to the police as first-time offenders are said to be involved in many of the offences. The Uppal police arrested recently a four-member gang of women allegedly involved in chain-snatching cases in running buses. The police recovered jewellery worth Rs 1 lakh from them. In another bust earlier, Saidabad police arrested two youngsters, Mohammad Jahangir and Meer Mustafa Ali. The duo revealed that they decided to commit offences as they were in a financial crisis. East Zone DCP Mahesh Chandra Laddha told Expresso that some special teams were constituted with the assistance of Task Force. “Divisional teams, sub-divisional teams, Task Force and local police teams have been formed to identify chain-snatchers.’’ He said 756 cases of chainsnatching were registered at various police stations in East Zone in 2009. Of those, over 500 were cracked and booty was recovered. “Most of the youngsters involved in chain-snatching cases are first-time offenders. Students who come to Hyderabad for employment opportunities turn chainsnatchers when they fail to get jobs,” he added. Some offenders used cutting pliers to remove chains. In an attempt to apprehend the habitual offenders, police have planned to deploy plainclothed policewomen as decoys. Areas where chain-snatching occurs frequently have been identified and surveillance enhanced there.

By MOULI MAREEDU

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Cops on drive to check air, sound pollution

People joyriding in their chokers emitting thick smoke clouds or enjoying honking their fancy horns much to the discomfort and often confusion of the other road users are going to invite trouble if they don’t mend their ways.

Failure to get their pollution certificates immediately or change their noisy horns, might leave them paying hefty fines or even getting their vehicle seized in a special 15-day drive launched by the police against violators of air and noise pollution norms. “With the Hyderabad Traffic Police receiving a number of complaints on air and noise pollution from the public, we have decided to launch a 15-day special drive to create awareness on the issue,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) N Hanumantha Rao. “We are concentrating on heavy vehicles as they ply on the city roads emitting a lot of smoke. Trucks, private buses, school buses and vans, two, three and four-wheelers that ply without a pollution certificate will also be fined,” he added. Stating that motorists should keep the `Pollution Check Certificate’ with them while driving, he said they should not equip their vehicles with any multi-toned horn giving a sequence of different tones or any other sound-producing device giving an unduly harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise. Two-wheelers, three-wheelers and fourwheelers that violate the above norms will be fined Rs 300 for each offence. In the case of medium and heavy transport vehicles, the fine will go up to Rs 600 per offence, the police officer said. With the police already on the checking job and registering around 400 cases a day, vehicle riders have started making a beeline for pollution check-up centres. “There’s a good response from bike and car riders. We are issuing more than 200 pollution certificates a day,” said V Santhosh, owner of a mobile pollution check-up centre at Banjara Hills. Amongst the major localities observed by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), Punjagutta Junction continues to remain the noisiest area in the city.

 By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Gangs eyeing kitchen treasure!

If denizens think that it is only cash, jewellery and electronic gadgets that need safe keeping, then be warned that there’s another prized possession of yours that has been lying unprotected in your kitchen - the LPG cylinder! Though it may sound strange, data show that cooking gas cylinders are next only to the above mentioned three categories of valuables on the priority list of thieves.

In fact, police issued an alert saying a gang specialising in cylinder thefts in locked houses has been on the prowl in the city. Police stations in the Cyberabad and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates have reported a rise in cases of housebreaks for LPG refills. Recently, a gang struck at the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Bandaru Dattatreya at Ramnagar in Musheerabad and made away with four cooking gas cylinders. Cyberabad Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crimes, G Surya Prakash Rao said more cases of cylinder thefts were being reported on the outskirts. “Apart from electronic gadgets like TV sets, music players and mobiles, robber gangs are keen to decamp with gas cylinders ,’’ he added. The reasons behind the interest in LPG refills among the gangs is not difficult to trace. According to police and civil supplies officials, their is a huge demand for gas cylinders in the market. “In view of their short supply, people are willing to buy them in black market at an exorbitant rate,’’ they said. Instant and easy disposal coupled with high returns without coming under the hawk eye of the police make cooking gas cylinders a try worth the toil for robber gangs. OA Prasad of Suraram Colony in Jeedimetla is a victim of one such offence. Robbers had broken into his locked house and made away with the domestic gas cylinder. He filed a police complaint, but there has been no trace of the cylinder and getting a replacement from the gas company is a tedious process. Private commercial establishments are the prime market for stolen cylinders. According to District Civil Supplies officials, a crackdown has already started on those using domestic gas cylinders for commercial purposes. Hyderabad District Civil Supplies Officer MM Ali and his team raided several small-scale establishments at Yousufguda, Rehmathnagar, Yellareddyguda and Motinagar and seized as many as 130 domestic gas cylinders being used for commercial purposes recently. Under the circumstances, police advise that people should keep their LPG cylinders safely inside the house, preferably by locking them with a chain - a kitchen treasure indeed!

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Forced couples readying for gala first anniversa

Have you ever tried defining the correlation between love and marriage? Well, love is a dream and marriage is just a means to turn the dream into a reality.

But when love marriages take place against the wishes of parents and that too in the most unusual circumstances, they are bound to raise curiosity about their success.

Expresso meets two couples whose wedding was performed by the right-wing Bajrang Dal and Viswa Hindu Parishad a year ago on the Valentine’s Day.

The two organisations are opposed to expressing love just on one day (Valentine’s Day) and have been forcing unwed couples moving intimately on that day to tie the nuptial knot.

The VHP performed as many as 15 weddings on the Valentine’s Day across the State last year. The organisations have renewed their threat this year too.

“We never expected that we will get married and lead a happy life as our parents were against our relationship. With God’s grace, we settled well,” say S Srinivas and Lavanya, who were married off on the Valentine’s Day in Hyderabad last year by the VHP and Bajrang Dal.

The couple is eagerly looking forward to celebrating their wedding anniversary on Feb 14 with their parents at a family get-together.

“My marriage has been performed in an unconventional and unforgettable manner in a tense atmosphere and against the wishes of our families. Now, I am settled down in life working as a medical representative in a private company,” says Srinivas smugly. The couple is settled in Nizamabad.

Another couple, Keerthi and Vishnu, residing in Old Mallepally, too admit that they indeed have been leading a happy life without any disputes and burdens.

“Our wedding on the V-Day is the most memorable incident of our life,” they declare.

Interestingly, many of the couples who got married in such fashion seem to be enjoying their lives and are preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary, some with their newborn babies.

Explaining the rationale behind their VDay campaign, Bajrang Dal State president T Yemen Singh reiterates that they are not against love but have only been opposing western culture. “We always strive to preserve Bharath culture and its traditions, where there is no place for things like Valentine’s Day,’’ he says.

“Our work doesn’t end with marrying off lovers. We maintain a record and monitor whether they are living happily,” reveals Bharath Vamsi, Co-Convenor of Bajrang Dal city wing.

The saffron brigade is all set for its campaign on Sunday. The activists, equipped with all the paraphernalia for a marriage, will move around popular joints and remote locations frequented by lovebirds to perform instant weddings.

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Fight for fancy car nos to go cyber

WITH the increasing craze among VIPs and VVIPs for fancy registration numbers for their vehicles, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has hit upon the idea of shifting the auction to cyber space for convenience and also to rake in more moolah.

The RTA anyway was planning to issue all kinds of permits for vehicles through an online process in the near future and curb the role of middlemen. Simultaneously, it wanted to make the number bidding online in order to avoid rush at the office during the auctions, said B Venkateswarlu, Joint Transport Commissioner.

The demand for fancy numbers such as 1, 9, 999 and 9999 can be gauged from the fact that a large number of customers participate in the auctions to secure them by paying a deposit of Rs 50,000 per head.

Tollywood star Junior NTR has recently bid a whopping Rs 4.99 lakh for number 9999 for his newlybought vehicle. Jr NTR has competed with three businessmen in the auction to secure his favourite number.

According to sources, Jr NTR has a strong liking for that number which adorns his old ambassador car, 500 Cubic Capacity (CC) Royal Enfield bullet and his sports bike.

“Every month we put on sale numbers from 1 to 1,000 for four and two-wheelers and there is always a race to bag the fancy numbers, ’ ’ Venkateswarlu said.

Earlier, there was good competition from IT professionals for these special numbers but not anymore.

These days it is the film personalities who are keen on getting the `lucky’ numbers.

Meanwhile, the RTA has decided to crack the whip on those replacing ‘AP’ on their vehicle number plates with TG and other letters.

The traffic police, in fact, have already started booking those violating the rules regarding number display.

Also, the RTA officials launched a special drive against private buses carrying containers and other cargo along with passengers. “Most of the private bus operators on the Hyderabad-Mumbai and Hyderabad- Bangalore routes overload their vehicles with goods and passengers in violation of rules. The RTA officials have booked 3 to 5 cases against such buses in the last two days,’’ Venkateswarlu said

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